The perks of the common cold
by GirlWithUnreadableEyes
Summary: Remus has a cold and one Dorcas Meadows wants to help him. Will she succeed, or will she be the victim of another one of the marauder's famous pranks? One-shot.


**_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot_**.

* * *

I entered the library. Remus Lupin was sitting on a table in the far corner, pouring over a book. I approached him, not really knowing why, but knowing that I just wanted to be by his side, and he looked up at me.

I gasped. He looked tired, so tired, his eyes were red rimmed and so was his nose.

"Remus? What's wrong?" I asked.

"Hey" he smiled up at me, "it's dothing, really, just a cold."

"You look dreadful!" I exclaimed.

"Thaks..." he raised his eyebrow at me.

"Oh, no, I didn't mean it that way, I just meant, I mean, you..."

He chuckled hoarsly. "It's ok. I geddit. Doe did to worry." He then sneezed.

"You sound aweful too..." I caught what I was saying and shut up, feeling my face burning up.

He chuckled again, probably at my now presumely beet red face, but pretty soon his chuckles turned into coughs. He coughed harder, almost chocking and I knelt besides him, patting him on the back.

When he calmed down I asked; "Are you sure you're alright? Do you want to go to the hospital wing?"

"Doe, it's fide." he said and blew his nose on his hankerchief once, folding it precisely in the middle before blowing again. So like Remus, I thought to myself. "By ibbudity systeb's was always pretty low..." he added, cutting my line of thoughts.

"Oh, so, umm, what are you doing?" I asked him.

" I'b just catchig up with sub classes I bissed." he said, flipping a page in his transfiguration book.

"Want any help?" I offered.

He was about to answer but then paused, his eyes unfocused for a moment and then he sneezed into his hankerchief.

"Bless you"

"Thags" he blew his nose once again.

"So ,need help?"

"Doe, thags though, the guys took dotes for bi so I just have to go over sub stuff ad write this essay for trasfiguratiod..."

"Do you mind if I stay? I have some work too..."

"Doe, of course dot, Dorcas, it'll be dice if you...Achoo!" he sneezed loudly and wiped his nose. "stayed." he finished.

"Bless you."

"Thags."

We sat there in silence.

Remus and I often sit in silence, when studying or reading, but that silence is a comfortable one, a silence between friends, who have much to say but know that they can say it later. This time, though, our silence was an awkward one, interupted by Remus's sniffles and occasional coughs.

I was just finishing my Charms essay when Remus sneezed again.

"Haa... haa...hachooo." He threw his head back. "Hachoo. Hachoo. 'Choo" He sneezed four times in a row before pausing.

"Ble.."

"Achooo" He trapped the sneeze in his hankerchief.

"Bless you." I said, at last, not quite abale to contain my smile. Why was he so damn cute no matter what he did?

He cleaned his hankerchief with a wave of his wand and blew his nose on it again.

"Th...hatchoo... thags."

"Why d'you use that hankerchief? There are tissues in the world." I said, half joking, trying to raise his spirits, but he just shrugged at me and went back to his book, messaging his temples. Does he have a headache, maybe I should leave... but you don't want to, do you? a small, uncomfortably true voice said in my head.

"You really seem to be feeling not too well." I said at last, concerened.

"Do it's fide, I'b fide, dowt worry."

"Well, if there's anything I can for you, you know where to find me." I said, raising up. I'll just leave, the fact that I want to be with him doesn't mean he wants to be with me... I bet I'm just making him feel worse?

"Actually, Dorcas, there is something..." he started.

"What is it?"

"I...Ha,ha,hachooo...sorry. I'll be glad if you'll accopady be to Hogbead toborow - I'b dying to go but I dowt thik I'll be able to keep up with the rest of the Baruders id by, ub, codditiod."

"Go with you in like, a date?" I blurted out before I could think what I was saying. Stupid Dorcas, now you ruined everything!

He looked at me funny, all hazy like and then sneezed twice and blew his nose. Then, very, very carefully he said; "Well, sure, if you wat..."

"I smiled widely and nodded, racing out of the library.

* * *

Just as she left the three remaining marauders jumped at me from behind the bookshelves.

"See mate" Sirius exclaimed, "I told you girls liked boys in vulnerable situations."

"Yea but there's one flaw in your plan, Sirius." James said, with Peter nodding vigrously besides him. "Remsu really does have a cold, how is he going to..."

"Hachooo."I interupted with a sneeze. "'tchoo,'tchoo." I blew my nose.

"Bless you" the rest of the marauders chorused.

"Thags. So, what were you sayig Jabes?"

"How are you going to go out with her tommorow if you have a cold?"

"Easy." I said. "I'll go to the durse dow for a pepper-up potiod." I smiled at them, slung my bag over my shoulder and walked away.

"Ha...ha...haachoo. 'choo. 'choo." I sneezed three times in a row and doubled up from the force of it.

James, Sirius and Peter were all by my side at once. James taking my bag and Sirius wrapping his arms around me.

"I think we better come with you." Peter said.

I smiled greatfully at them.

How could Dorcas believe my friends wouldn't be there for me no matter the condition?

* * *

**_Hope you enjoyed - do I keep it like this or turn it into a full story (or even just a two shot showing their date...), what do you think?_**


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